Day 69: More Help / Bill and Ted's Favorite number.

Received an E-mail from a friend who is also a nutritionist and a bodybuilder showing me a way to up the intensity of my workouts.

Hey Gwyn,

I see you've been doing 5x5. Have you considered 8x8? It's pretty much the same thing. It'll be a little more intense and you'll have to drop your weight a little. The idea is to keep the same weight for all 8x8. That's the hard part. I see you're kinda doing that with 5x5. Don't know if you've heard of Vince Gironda. I've done his 8x8's in the past when I was in better shape. I'm been using them again lately to try to get back in shape.

Here's a link to an overview:
http://www.ironguru.com/8-sets-of-8-reps-vince-gironda-routine

When Joe Weider brought Arnold Schwarzenegger to America, the first thing Weider did was to send him to Vince's Gironda's Gym in North Hollywood to whip the over-bulked Austrian into top shape. Legend has it that when Arnold walked in the door, he introduced himself to Vince by saying, "I am Arnold Schwarzennegger, Mr. Universe." The inimitable Vince replied, "You look like a fat fuck to me."

Of all Vince's techniques, the 8 sets of 8 program was his favorite for the bodybuilder. "I have a definite preference for the 8 X 8 system of sets and reps," wrote Vince. "I come back to this high intensity "honest workout" more often than any other for maximizing muscle fiber growth in the quickest possible time for the advanced bodybuilder."

8 sets of 8 might be the most effective set and rep combination ever developed for rapidly building muscle fiber size while simultaneously shedding body fat. Vince called it the "honest workout " because of the pure muscle fiber size that can be achieved on it. "Keep to 8 X 8 and your muscle fiber will plump out, giving you a solid mass of muscle density as a result," promised Vince.

Here's how it works: You will select three or four exercises per muscle group and perform 8 sets of 8 on each exercise. Yes - that's 24 to 32 sets per body part! You will work two or three muscle groups per session and rest only 15 to 30 seconds between sets. Each workout will be completed in approximately 45 minutes and never more than 60 minutes.

These are not two or three hour marathon workouts. You are completing this routine in under an hour. The reason this doesn't constitute overtraining is because you're not exceeding the workout duration that begins having a negative effect on recovery and anabolic hormones. You are simply overloading the muscles by condensing more training into less time.

Why it works: More work in less time = Higher intensity, bigger muscles more fat loss.

Starting Weight: 230
Current Weight: 218 (thanks to my lack of will power from the superbowl.)


Workout A: 8x8 resting 15 to 30 seconds. I'm going to do 1 minute because I'm just starting. Adding 5 lbs per week.

Weight Lifting one hour: -577.0 cal

• Squats (Legs) 8x8 @ 180
• Bench Press (Chest) 8x8 @ 135
• Seated Row (Back) 8x8 @ 125
• Romanian Dead lifts (Legs) 8x8 @ 180
• Machine Press (Chest) 8x8 @ 145
• Wide Grip Pull Down (Lats) @ 90

Workout B: Wednesday

• Dead Lifts (Legs) 8x8 @ 180
• Push Press (Shoulders) 8x8 @ 115
• Pull Downs (Lats) 8x8 @ 90
• Bulgarian Squats (Legs) 8x8 @ 45
• Wide-Grip Upright Row (Shoulders) 8x8 @ 65
• Inverted Row (Back) 8x8 @ BW

One hour workout:

Meals: All Calculations were taken from MyDailyPlate.com


Meal 1: GNC Pro Performance Wheybolic Extreme 60 310 cal

Meal 2: Reser's Organic Shredded Chicken Burrito 1/2 serving 185 cal

Meal 3: Chick-Fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich 260 cal

Meal 4: Chick-Fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich 260 cal

Meal 5: Slimfast Optima Milk Chocolate Shake 200 cal

Meal 6: Reser's Organic Shredded Chicken Burrito 1/2 serving 185 cal

Meal 7: Peanut Butter And Honey Sandwhich 270 cal

Total: 1670